1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an endoscope attachment, and more particularly to an endoscope attachment attached to an endoscope used to image the inside of digestive organs, and the endoscope.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, in the field of medical practice, gastrointestinal endoscopes have been used for inspecting digestive organs. The gastrointestinal endoscopes are classified to an upper endoscope used to inspect esophagus, stomach and duodenum, and a lower endoscope used to inspect rectum and large intestine. A probe of the upper endoscope is inserted from an oral cavity, while a probe of the lower endoscope is inserted from an anus. In addition to the inspection of the digestive organs for discovering suspected lesions, the above endoscopes need to cut and collect the discovered lesions to be examined. Therefore, at an end portion of the endoscope (distal end of the endoscope), not only a camera but also a lighting for illuminating the interior of the organs, forceps for cutting and collecting lesions, and a water injection nozzle for removing secretion of the organs from the camera are equipped. A physician inserts a probe of the endoscope into the digestive organs, and performs diagnosis, collection of lesion, and treatment, viewing images monitored by the camera equipped at the end portion.
FIG. 14A is an external view of the probe of the conventional endoscope, and FIG. 14B is a top view of an end portion of the probe (distal end of the probe) of the same endoscope (see Patent Reference 1).
The distal end of the probe of the endoscope has a camera 1000, two lightings 1010 and 1020, a forceps opening 1030, and a water injection nozzle 1040.
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-318808
However, although the above-structured conventional endoscope has a view field in front of distal end of the probe in a direction of inserting the endoscope, which is convenient to insert probe and maneuver the forceps, there is a problem that the inner surfaces of the digestive organs which are to be actually observed are positioned along the sides of the probe, which makes it difficult for the physician to inspect the surfaces. Moreover, since digestive organs has folds, a side of the fold which is a rear side from the inserting the distal end of the probe becomes often a blind area. Therefore, it is difficult to display an image of the rear side of the fold, which causes a problem of a high possibility of overlooking lesions. Especially at the rear side of the fold in the area where the organ is significantly bent, observation is almost impossible, which results in a quite high possibility of overlooking lesions. Here, in order to address the above problems, a method is conceived to use a wide angle lens for the camera, but there is a drawback that distortion of the lens becomes great near the side surface of the organ to be observed. Further, there is another method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2002-33943 and 2002-341409, to have view fields in front (front view field) and also at the sides of the endoscope (side view field), by equipping an omnidirectional mirror to the camera lens. However, when the omnidirectional mirror is used to view with a wide angle, it is necessary to illuminate the wide view field, but the lighting of the conventional endoscope can illuminate only a narrow forward view field. Therefore, the method of merely using the omnidirectional mirror for the camera lens of the endoscope fails to capture images of the organ surfaces at the sides of the endoscope, so that the above problems have not been solved.
Therefore, in view of the above problems, the first object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope attachment which enables an endoscope to eliminate any blind areas and prevent a physician from overlooking nidus.
Furthermore, the second object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope attachment which enables an endoscope to capture images of area in front and at the sides of the endoscope.
Means to Solve the Problems
In order to achieve the above objects, the endoscope attachment according to the present invention is attachable to a distal end of a probe of an endoscope used to image a digestive organ. The endoscope attachment includes: a view field obtaining part for obtaining a front view field and a side view field for the probe; and an illumination light providing part for diffusing illumination light illuminating an area in front of the probe in order to provide the illumination light to an area at side of the endoscope attachment. Here, the view field obtaining part may be an optical-lens transparent member which has a predetermined-shaped surface on a part of which a mirror is formed, an image of the area at side of the probe may be captured by the camera of the probe via the mirror, an image of the area in front of the probe may be captured by the camera via a part of the predetermined-shaped surface of the optical-lens transparent member, on the part the mirror not being formed, the optical-lens transparent member may be a wide angle lens, the predetermined-shaped surface may be a convex surface, the predetermined-shaped surface may be a hyperboloid, and the predetermined-shaped surface may be a spherical surface. Further, the view field obtaining part may obtain an omnidirectional view field for the probe.
Furthermore, the view field obtaining part may be a ring-shaped mirror having an opening, an image of the area at side of the probe may be captured by the camera of the probe via the mirror, and an image of the area in front of the probe may be captured by the camera through the opening of the mirror. Here, the endoscope attachment may have a support member by which the mirror is fixed to the endoscope attachment.
Still further, the illumination light providing part may be a first mirror which has a trumpet shape flaring out in order to shield the illumination light illuminating an area in front of the probe (hereinafter, referred to as a trumpet shape), the illumination light providing part may have a plurality of the first mirrors, the illumination light providing part may be a conical or cylindrical transparent optical member which protrudes ahead of the probe, the mirror may also have a convex shape, and the mirror may also have a plane shape. Still further, the illumination light providing part may be the ring-shaped mirror which is used also as the view field obtaining part, and the opening of the mirror may be positioned at a range where forceps can move.
Thereby, a view angle at the side of the endoscope is enlarged to obtain a view field at the backside of the distal end of the probe in order to capture images of digestive organ, not only of the areas merely positioned at the sides of the endoscope, but also of front and rear sides of folds. Therefore, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which enables an endoscope to eliminate any blind areas and prevent a physician from overlooking nidus. Further, the endoscope attachment has a simple structure, so that it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which is easily cleansed thereby preventing spread of the disease to somebody else. Furthermore, the structure of the existing endoscope which has already been used in many medical institutions does not need to be changed but can still be used, so that it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which enables the endoscope to expand its functions easily and with a low cost. Still further, the mirror enables the camera to capture images of areas at the sides of the probe, and also enables illumination light emitted from the probe to illuminate the areas, which results in unnecessity of separately equipping: a member for having the camera capture the image of the areas at the sides of the probe; and a member for providing the illumination light to the areas, so that it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which has a simple structure.
Moreover, the endoscope has view fields in front and at the sides of the endoscope, and illumination light can illuminate areas in front and at the sides of the endoscope, so that it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which enables the endoscope to have not only the imaging system but also a lighting suitable for the imaging system thereby capturing images of the areas in front of and at the sides of the endoscope.
Furthermore, the first mirror may diffuse a part of the illumination light illuminating the area in front of the probe, in order to provide the part of the illumination light to an area at side of the endoscope attachment.
Thereby, illumination light surely illuminate areas in front of the endoscope attachment, so that it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which enables the prove to be easily operated.
Furthermore, the view field obtaining part may be an optical-lens transparent member having a predetermined-shaped surface on a part of which a second mirror is formed, the transparent member being arranged in a cylindrical housing of the endoscope attachment, the first mirror may be arranged on an outer wall of the housing, and the second mirror may prevent the illumination light illuminating the area in front of the probe from being irradiated on the first mirror.
Thereby, the illumination light emitted from the probe is prevented from being irradiated on the camera as incident light, so that it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which prevents a part of image captured by the endoscope from being too brightened.
Furthermore, the endoscope attachment may further include a transparent attaching part, which has two through-holes, to be used to attach the endoscope attachment to the probe, wherein relative positions of the holes in the endoscope attachment correspond to relative positions of a forceps opening and a water injection nozzle of the probe, respectively.
Thereby, positions of the forceps opening and the water injection nozzle in the probe are adjusted to two holes in the endoscope attachment, respectively, thereby adjusting a position of the camera, so that it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which is easily attached to the endoscope.
Furthermore, the opening may be positioned at an area of the mirror, on the area the illumination light being regularly reflected to the camera.
Thereby, the illumination light emitted from the probe is prevented from being irradiated on the camera as incident light, so that it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment which prevents a part of image captured by the endoscope from being too brightened.